Silence Isn't Always Golden
by Jordan Madz
Summary: Being mute was always going to have it's ups and downs. Teep didn't really care about it much, it was just a fact of his life, and it wasn't like he could do anything to about it. Besides, there were ways to communicate without speaking, so it had never occured to him that there would be times that he wished he wasn't mute.


_AN: This is based around the idea of my other fanfiction "No Different", from a different point of view and with a few slight differences._

Being mute was always going to have it's ups and downs. Teep didn't really care about it much, it was just a fact of his life, and it wasn't like he could do anything to about it. Besides, there were ways to communicate without speaking, so it had never occured to him that there would be times that he wished he wasn't mute.

The happy, childish girl who had found him, and convinced the dark mage to take him in, was gone. Rythian never should have let her try to defuse the nuke on her own. Zoey knew more than Rythian did about the nuke though, so he had left her there, trusting that she really did know what she was doing like she so adamantly insisted. Rythian and Teep could only look on in horror as their castle went up in smoke before their eyes. Debris from the explosion cascading around them, Rythian's gut-wrenching screams as he raced to the crater that had once been their home, it was a scene that would be lodged in Teep's forever. It was the day that he wished he could speak.

He wanted to echo Rythian's desprate cries of grief and rage as they discovered Zoey's body, bloodied and broken on the ground. He wanted to voice his hurt when, in her dying moments, Zoey was all eyes for Rythian and never once realized that Teep was beside her too. It almost felt like his silent sobs were more agonizing than her death, the pain of not being able to put his grief into words was more than he could have ever imagined. Teep knew that there was nothing else he could do for Zoey, so more than anything else now, he wanted to comfort Rythian. The minute they laid eyes on Zoey, Teep had seen his friend's world shatter. With another silent, painful sob, Teep wondered if there was any hope of Rythian recovering from this. How does someone keep going when their sun has burned out?

Teep reached out to him, desperately trying to convey the words he wished he could speak. However, Zoey had always been the one to translate the words his subtle movements meant, and so his friend took no notice of the gesture. The sorrow and hurt that swamped Teep now was so overwhelming he wondered how the mage could possible miss it. He wanted to let his friend know that he was still here, that he would always be here for him. He wanted to beg him not to do anything rash, that if he must seek revenge for this, to plan it and not just rush headlong into death. It was no use though, Rythian would never understand. Any rationalizing was lost on him the minute Zoey's heart stopped beating.

While Teep wallowed alone in his own mind, Rythian had come to his own conclusion on what must be done. He stood now, suddenly, and with more purpose then Teep would've guessed he could have after this ordeal. In Rythian's mind their was a defeaning silence, in Teep's a whirl of confusion and grief as he wondered what the dark mage could possibly find more important than burying their companion. It should have been obvious, of course he was heading for Lalna's castle. Teep tried again to stop him, but to no avail, so he just grabbed his bow and followed. Rythian was all he had left now, and even if he didn't notice or care that Teep was still beside him, he vowed to stay with him until their end.

Their 'mission' went well to begin with, or really, as well as an unplanned murder could hope to go. Their appearance surprised Lalna, and he still didn't believe that Rythian would actually kill him, so he didn't put up a fight. They should have taken Nano into account, but Rythian underestimated her and Teep just wanted to go back to Zoey. His reflexes were dulled by grief, so there was no way he could move fast enough to stop the small, raging shape as she flew at the mage. Even from a distance Teep could see the shock light up Rythian's face, and hear the sickening crunch of bone. Again, he was assaulted by the wish to speak, to scream his despair at the girl who had just stolen away the only thing he had left. Perhspas it was better that he couldn't though, that he was unable to alert the girl to his presence. Nano had no idea that Teep was directly behind her, lining up his shot, as she collapsed, sobbing, onto Lalna's blood covered chest. She couldn't hear the words being hurled at her, and so her death was swift and silent.

To some people, silence isn't always golden.

_AN: I apologize for the ending, I just couldn't find a way to finish it that I actually liked. I've never been good at endings either, so any tips would be greatly appreciated!_


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